For 16 years, I’ve been exchanging a simple “hello” with the same building worker on my walk to the train. Every weekday morning, rain or shine, we greet each other with a smile, and maybe a quick comment about the weather — an easy icebreaker that requires no deep thought, just mutual acknowledgment that we’re both still here, still moving forward. For 16 years, he’s been a constant on my journey, working hard as I rush past, usually distracted by emails, phone calls, and the to-do list that never seems to shrink.

And yet, in all that time, we’ve never exchanged names. Not once. It’s as if we’ve made an unspoken agreement: names aren’t necessary for this connection. It’s a curious realization. Here’s someone whose presence has been a fixture in my daily routine for over a decade, and we’re complete strangers in some ways, but not in others. We see each other’s dedication—he to his work, me to mine—and we respect each other in that quiet way that doesn’t demand more than a smile and a quick word about the heat, the cold, or the rain.

In a world so often dominated by formalities, labels, and digital distractions, this small, human interaction stands out. It’s uncomplicated by titles or expectations. It’s free of social media filters or endless demands for connection. There’s something beautiful in that simplicity. The hello doesn’t need a name attached to it. The connection exists in the shared moments, the recognition of one another as fellow travelers in this hectic world, finding a moment to just say “hi.”

Maybe one day we’ll exchange names. But maybe we don’t need to. Because after 16 years, it feels like we already know the most important thing: we’re here, smiling, greeting, and being present in each other’s lives.